European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday october 7, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 crisis in the Gnu Battle of bulge yields words of Wisdom by Ron Jensen staff writer Bullinger Belgium a the weapons Are More horrible. The Battlefield will be larger Ana less varied. But if the arabian desert erupts with War the Basic element of combat a a Man with a gun against another Man with a gun a will duplicate that of world War ii. Recently veterans of the Battle of the bulge hitlers final great offensive thrust were asked during a return to their Battlefield to advise service members in operation desert shield who might see combat. A a there a not much you can Tell them. But learn everything they need to know the first hour a said Dorsey Ball who earned the Silver Star during the fighting in Belgium in 1944. A a that show it was for Ball who operates a Auto body shop in Cincinnati said anyone facing combat should not be ashamed to be afraid. A anybody who goes into combat and says they ainu to scared is a Damn liar a he said. He added a you just Roll the Dice and take your others said the fright disappears when the shooting begins. A once it starts you done to have time to be scared a said Nick Machinis a self employed businessman from Erie pa., who was captured during the Battle of the bulge. A a you re not scared. You just that thought was echoed by . Millroy an Auto dealer from Celina Texas. A when you were in actual combat you weren to scared a he said. A a you a pee in your pants waiting to go but once you got on the Way it was William Goldfinch jr., a funeral director from Myrtle a amps Ken George William Goldfinch or. Strength through Faith. Differences in ., saudi armies diminish along desert s front line continued from Page 1 their silhouettes look like ships disappearing Over the horizon. At the saudi arabian 20th inf brigade old american built my 13 armoured personnel carriers were buried to their top hatches in gravel. These pits have escape ramps so the vehicles can be backed out in a hurry. In some places the soldiers have spread the excavated gravel All around making it flush with the horizon line. Elsewhere Earth has been piled into rows of pyramids that can be used for cover. The men of the 20th live in tents buried up to the tops of the poles. World War i style trenches connect a few of the fighting positions. It appears to be a Good defense. Presumably the iraqis 40 Miles to the North have dug themselves in just As deeply. The saudi army is not so different from the american army. Men Wear similar uniforms with similar rank. They Wear the same masks to protect themselves from chemical attacks and their Headquarters follow similar chains of command. A we have the same weapons the same training a a saudi staff officer said. A just a different language a different 10 enlisted soldiers on his staff Are mostly from the City he said and were away from the base Camp learning How to read a Compass and navigate in the desert. The officer a major had trained for a year in the United states taking courses at fort Benning a. Fort Lee a. And fort Knox by. He said the relationship Between officers and enlisted is comparable to that in the Army. But the enlisted men seem to get by with less than their american counterparts. Inside one tent were six cots that looked like Lawn chairs fully reclined. The Linen was a Hodgepodge that looked like it might have been brought from Home. One Blanket was Bright red another Brown another Blue and red striped. One Soldier had a brass water Pitcher similar to a Spittoon except for its elaborate engraving. The tent was wired for electricity and had one Bare bulb for Light. The soldiers had the same plastic bottles of water that gis have come to know. And the tent had Blue and red striped carpeting that might once have been the fabric of a bedouin tent. The officers have Fine Indian and turkish rugs. Here in the desert they Are spread across the gravel and trampled by combat boots. The officers tent Large and open resembles the inside of a saudi coffeehouse the kind where men remove their shoes sit on pillows and share Tea and Coffee in tiny cups. The Arab soldiers speak the local language so they have connections for soft drinks ice and daily fresh vegetables. Many especially the sergeants Wear beards giving them a rough desert Warrior appearance. But they have much in common with the americans. They too Are pestered by flies. And they too offer water to strangers show off their weapons and boast about their units. One sergeant who drives a missile launcher kept the Koran on his dashboard and kissed the ornate cover of the moslem holy Book after handling it. Some american soldiers also carry religious books. If there is a War these men Likely will be the first to fight. Some will die and the great flatness of the place will be cratered by explosions. In time the wind will smooth it Over again. The seasonal rain falling once a year will Wash the land clean. The ground will be Neutral once More and the lines that men have drawn in the Sand will be gone. Beach s.c., who was wounded during the Battle of the bulge said a Soldier in saudi Arabia facing combat should Trust in his god. A i would remind him where his strength really is a he said. A this strength will be his Faith. Regardless of what his religion is his strength should be in his Faith. A the should also remember his heritage Why he is privileged to be there. And it is a privilege. He is protecting his heritage. A third id remind him to remember his training. In a sure they have Good training now just As we had Good training. A and when its Over a any Battle any conflict a thank the Good lord you Are Goldfinch added that he also experienced the possibility of being killed in combat Many times. A always go in there thinking there is something better after this a he said. Joe Lee Mclean a mechanical Engineer for the Army in Corpus Christi Texas said its important for service members to avoid thinking about getting hit. Such thoughts have no place in the mind of a fighter. A some Guys have too Good of an imagination a he said. A they never can control he suggested getting angry. A you get mad at the enemy. You get mad at the army. You get mad at everything. Then you do what you feel like the men who were asked All offered some comments suggestions or recollections. But almost everyone said at the end that there is really no Way to prepare for the horror of combat. A a there a nothing really you can say a Millroy said. A a they re in for flies Lance Cpl. James Butler of Clinton md., uses camouflage netting to protect himself from flies in the saudi desert. Flies have become the no. 1 pest for american troops stationed in the persian Gulf have Friend a phone Call away new York apr help is a phone Call away for the thousands of women men and children who become instant military dependents in the persian Gulf crisis. More than 700 callers a month get advice at the family support operations Center at fort Totten Queens Home of the nations largest army Reserve command. The 77th army Reserve come serves 14,000 soldiers and their families 334 of them have been activated. But the Center will try to help callers from anywhere a even from other military branches. Its toll free number Good in new York Connecticut and new Jersey a is a Lifesaver. A lot of these people can to afford a Long distance phone Call a said Paul m. Silverman a civilian who is family support coordinator. Sgt. Mary Lou Bornmann a Reserve spokeswoman said most of the callers need Quick advice or commiseration. About 5 percent Are overwhelmed a few Call four or five times a Day. A a they re worried about keeping a roof Over their head or Money to for food a sgt. 1st class Patricia Payne said. A they get kind of Panicky a master sgt. George Frangos said. Most callers find out about the Center from commanding officers or other military families. An information packet also is mailed automatically when a Soldier is activated. Editors note phone numbers for the family support operations Center Are 800-421-2884 in new York new Jersey or Connecticut 718 352-5734 elsewhere
